Bouquet-holder



(1101101161. J. MATHISON' BOUQUET HOLDER.

110. 501,287. V PatentdJuly 11,1893.

zw w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MATHISON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOUQUET-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,287, dated July 11,1893.

Applicationfiled July 11,1892. Serial No. 439,558- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH MATHISON, of Somerville, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Bouquet- Holders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice adapted to be readily and detachably applied to a coat lapel orother other portion of a garment, and hold a bouquet or boutonnierewithout wrinkling or disfiguring the garment.

The invention consists in a bouquet holder comprising in itsconstruction a safety pin having open eyes or loops at its ends, and anelastic band engaged with said eyes and held thereby in such positionthat the sides of the band constitute yielding jaws adapted to beseparated to permit the interposition of flower stems between them,andto hold said stems with sufficient firmness.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved bouquet holder.Fig. 2 represents an end view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top oredge view. Fig. 4 respresents a view similar to Fig. 3, without theelastic band. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I provide a wire safety pin, preferablymade from a single piece of wire, comprising an eye or loop a formed atone end of the piece, a bar a extending from one end of said eye,another eye a formed on one end of the bar a,and a pin a extending fromone end of the eye a and having its free end pointed and arranged to beengaged by a part of the eye a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each of theeyes a a is open at one side and said eyes occupy planes substantiallyat right angles with the direction of length of the bar a and pin 0..

The open construction of the eyes enables a band 11 of elastic material,preferably rubber, to be engaged with said eyes in the manner shown inFig. 1, one side of the band being slipped through the openings in theeyes while the band is in an expanded condition. to its normal sizecauses the sides of the band to come together and act as yielding jawsadapted to grasp and hold flower stems placed between them.

The bar a is preferably offset, as shown, so that it bears closely onone side of the band I) and constitutes a comparatively rigid support orbacking for said side, thus causing the band to more firmly hold theflower stems than if both sides of the band were free to move outwardlyor away from each other.

It will be seen that the wire portion of the device, formed as shown,constitutes a safety pin adapted to hold an elastic band in a tensecondition, the pin and its retaining guard being behind the band andmainly concealed thereby, as are all parts of the wire portion exceptingthe ends of the eyes; hence the device is not objectionably conspicuouswhen worn on an exposed portion of a garment. The device is adapted tobe readily applied and removed after the manner of applying and removingan ordinary safety pin, and may be applied to the lapel of a coat or toa ladys dress.

I do not limit myself to the particular form of the safety pin or wireportion here shown. Any device analogous to a safety pin, adapted to bedetachably secured to a garment and provided with eyes or loops adaptedto hold an elastic band so that the sides of said band will act as jawsin the manner described, will be no departure from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim- 1. A bouquet holder comprisinga frame or support having meansfor attachment to a garment, and provided with eyes or loops and anendless elastic band engaged with said eyes and held in a tensecondition thereby, the sides of the band being both located on one sideof the frame or support and constituting stem grasping jaws, as setforth.

2. A bouquet holder comprising a safety The effort of the band tocontract' pin having open eyes or loops at its ends and two subscribingwitnesses, this 1st day of a bar connecting said loops, and an endlessJuly, A. D. 1892.

elastic band en a ed with said eyes and hav- A ing the two side sFhereof extending along one JOSEPH MATIHSON' 5 side of said bar, as setforth. Vitnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my C. F. BROWN,

name to this specification, in the presence of A. D. HARRISON.

